CLOSER TO HOME
Kym and Jerry Douglas take Closer inside their LA condo.
The style guru and soap legend turned their emptynest condominium into a chic space
Like many empty-nesters, Kym and Jerry Douglas felt a bit restive when their son, Hunter, left for college last year, so they went looking for a new home. “We were living really far out in the suburbs of LA for Hunter’s schooling and football career,” Kym, a lifestyle expert on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, tells Closer. “So the minute he was done and off to study at USC, Jerry and I were like, ‘That’s it, we’re going back to the city!’ ”
Ironically, the sleek and contemporary three-bedroom, four-bath West LA condo she found with her soap star husband, who’s starred on The Young and the Restless on and off for more than 30 years, “doesn’t feel like the city at all,” observes Kym, 58. “We have
lovely grounds here that are very green, and Jerry spends a lot of time in the courtyard, so it’s almost like an oasis.”
Their Maltese Bella, and Labrador, Brady, seem to agree. “The dogs love to go out there, and it’s almost as if they’re listening for something,” Jerry, 84, says. “They just take in the environment.”
That same relaxed feeling can be found in their 2,255-square-foot condo, which has a private patio, and that’s one reason why the couple put down an offer on this ground-floor model apartment in the new complex the first time they checked it out. “Having the large openfloor plan makes it feel like we’re not inside all the time,” Kym says. “We have a lot of windows and only one shared wall.”
Though there wasn’t much to do besides changing some light fixtures and bringing in furniture, Kym added the “modern-with-aCalifornia-twist” style she’s shown as a regular guest on Ellen for the past 11 years. “I decorated thinking of Jerry and Hunter, as you can tell by the hot-pink chair!” she quips. “They were cool with everything, which says a lot about their security with their masculinity.”
Kym makes it clear that, despite reserving a room for Hunter, 19, when he visits (“His laundry has to be done somewhere!” she laughs), she earned an empty nest that reflects her tastes. “I walk in, see these bright colors that are feminine, and it sort of represents where we are in our lives.”
Often you’ll find Jerry whipping up lox, onions and eggs for breakfast in the spacious kitchen or reading in his office or their “cozy and quiet” bedroom. But Kym’s favorite space is the living room. “At our other houses people tended to spread out, but we’re all together in there when the family is here,” she says with a smile. “So this has really brought us much closer.” — Reporting by Steve Gidlow
“You can’t raise a good kid without a good mother. She’s the best!”
— Jerry (with Kym and Hunter)